There is a strong chance you don’t remember Crazy Balloon, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give this week’s Arcade Archives a go.
Available from today as part of the Arcade Archives releases on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, Crazy Balloon is an odd one.
Take a look:
Crazy Balloon has previously been re-released, most recently in the Taito Legends 2 collection in 2006.
What is Crazy Balloon?
I’ve pretty much explained the game above, but this description should fill in any blanks:
“CRAZY BALLOON” is an action game released by TAITO in 1980. Guide a swaying balloon through a thorny maze and attempt to reach the goal while avoiding traps such as moving thorns, scrolling mazes and more.
As with the other Arcade Archives titles, this port adds support for improved difficulty settings, display filters, save states, and an international leaderboard.
Do you need to guide a balloon through a maze?
This is a relatively simple game that is nevertheless retailing at the same price as more accomplished titles from the 8-bit era, which leaves me wondering if perhaps a few of these more basic titles should be grouped together for release with a better overall price.
Frankly, $7.99 for a 45-year-old two-player (taking turns, not simultaneous) balloon maze game is a little bit cheeky.
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Unlike many of these titles, I have no memory of Crazy Balloon at all. What is particularly curious about this, however, is that it was cloned on other platforms, and I still don’t recall it. Apparently, a version was developed for the BBC Micro, too, but never released.
On the face of it, Crazy Balloon has the look of a magazine type-in or something you would find in a book about programming. Now, I know video games had to start somewhere, and the arcade machine boards of the 1970s and 80s were more basic than the average fan oven these days, but even so…
$7.99, people.
You can learn more on the Arcade Archives website page for Crazy Balloon.
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Christian Cawley is the founder and editor of GamingRetro.co.uk, a website dedicated to classic and retro gaming. With over 20 years of experience writing for technology and gaming publications, he brings considerable expertise and a lifelong passion for interactive entertainment, particularly games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras.
Christian has written for leading outlets including TechRadar, Computer Weekly, Linux Format, and MakeUseOf, where he also served as Deputy Editor.
When he’s not exploring vintage consoles or retro PCs, Christian enjoys building with LEGO, playing cigar box guitar, and experimenting in the kitchen.
